Norway Reports Large Demand for Arctic Licenses

37 companies have submitted applications for licenses on the Norwegian shelf, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate reports.

When the application deadline for the 21st licensing round on the Norwegian shelf expired on 3 November, 37 companies had submitted applications. Among the companies are Chevron, ConocoPhillips, North Energy, Lundin and Statoil.

Director of Exploration Sissel Eriksen in the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate is very pleased that companies still consider the Norwegian Sea and the Barents Sea to be interesting exploration areas:

"The interest shown by the companies illustrates that new exploration acreage on the Norwegian shelf is still competitive, also in an international perspective", she said according to the directorate’s web site.

The Ministry of Petroleum and Energy plans to award new production licenses in the 21st licensing round in the spring of 2011.

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